Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-02-04
4 Badger Bows Trip in Colorado.


A Badger Bows Trip i'm Colorado.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, Dec
80, 1SS6.-EDIToR DEMOCRAT: From
Silverton we had most interesting
trip across the mountains, via Ouray
and San Juan wagon road. connecting
at Montrose again with the D. & r.
G. Ry. This journey from Denver to
Silverton then across to Montrose then
east as far as Pueblo covers the finest
scenery of any equal distance in the
state, if not in the world.
When we left Silyerton, it was by
wagon, and we wound around and up
along the mountain side where the
wagon road had been dug in many
places through solid rock, past high
cliffs whose bold front had been loos-
ened by the hand of time and hurled
in broken fragments down the side
till it looked like monster dump of
broken and crumbling stone. After a
few miles of travel mid ever varying
scenes we reach a point where sleigh
will run best, so we transfer, and have
a pleasant sleigh ride to the top of the
pass, and at Red Mountain (named
from the color of the mountain) We
take dinner, and are soon on our down
ward trip through beautiful pine
forest, past rich mines and the miners
cosy cabins. The snow finally gives
out, and we transfer to wagon again
and are soon going over the grandest
wagon road we ever saw. 1t is high
up along the mountain side and in
many places chiseled through solid
rock overhung by mountain cliffs,
while in others deep ravines are bridged
or the road is held up by walls of
logs or stone. Far down below rusheS
the silver waters Of the Uncompaghre,
while on every hand the scenes are
grandIy beautiful and magnificent.
Some of this road is said to have cost
$4,000 per mile.
Ouray is situated in grand amphi-
theater of mountains the SUBMITS of
whose peaks rise from two to four
thousand feet higher than the town,
and from ten to fourteen thousand feet
above the level of the sea. Canons,
caves, gorges and hot springs with
other points of interest fail to detain
us more than day, though weeks
stay, with the gun and rod, would
have been well enjoyed.
All aboard for MOntrose! as the
four-in-h hand came swinging up to the
hotel The roads are no doubt better
than when Mark Twain got his ex-
perience for L" Roughing It," still if it
wasn't for the change in scenery the
ride of thirty-fve miles might get te-
dious. Soon after leaving Ouray the
valley begins to open, and we are now
passing fine farms and through an
excellent agricultural country.
Twenty-Five miles from Ouray we
see the old Los Pinos Agency, where
encouragement, ammunition and arms
were furnished the red skins to hunt
tWo-legged game, till in 1879 such
game being hard to get at, General
Hatch and associates were ordered in
to supply the deficiency. Why not
have sent the Utes to Florida and fed
them in balmy idleness; or aren't
they as lucky as their Arizona breth-
rem in stringing pale faced scalps and
so are kept on probation till they can
prove themselves worthy? is asked by
many an honest settler Of western
Colorado. Further on we pass the
military camp. and beyond this the
residence of Chippeta, the widow of
Ouray, the Ute chief who was the
friend of the whites and during his
reign held in check his cruel warriors.
At 6:3O we reach MOntrOSe. which is
the Quitting and nearest freighting
station for Ouray, Telluride ard other
mining camps. Leaving Montrose
and also the valley of the UncOm-
paghre our course is up small valley
from which we look back on the dis
tant snow capped peaks of the san
Juan. Now down grade to Cimarron
station on the banks of the river of the
same name, which abounds in fish,
and the country around in plenty of
game of various kind, making this an
enjoyable place for the sportsman.
From here through the short Cimaron
canon, we again reach the Gunnison,
and pass up its banks through the
black canon. There is probably no
place in the world 50 magniticently
grand, imposing and sublime that may
be SO easily reached by rail. The road
bed in places through this grand gorge
has been made by blasting in the walls
of granite walls that rise two thou
sand feet in height, and SO close to-
gether that for much of the distance
through the canon only Il streak of
sky appears above. Occasionally the
train changes sides with the roaring
river, and ever and anon the tourist is
presented with new and varied scenes
of the stupendous walls.
Suddenly he is whirled past the en-
trance of another mighty gorge, or.
turning a sharp curve beholds a stream
of liquid crystal hung like massive
bridal veil from the top of the diZzE
cliff to the bosom Of the sparkling
pool beside the road. Then passes
spacious amphitheater in whose center.
towering monument of
solid granite, piercing the teecy clouds
of the summer breeze, stands the far
famed Currecanti needle.
Further on, the bluffs grow less, the
valley widens, we pass some good stock
ranches and in due time stop at the
depot in the city of GunniSon. This
but has one of the finest hotels of the
state, the La Neta.
CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK